There’s no doubt that Serial ATA storage is hitting a wall when even mainstream PCs like the MacBook Air and VAIO Pro use the PCI Express interface to get around performance bottlenecks. It’s a good thing that SATA-IO just ratified the improved SATA 3.2 specification, then. The new standard centers on SATA Express , which lets SATA storage ride on the PCIe bus and more than doubles the available bandwidth to 16Gbps (2GB/s). Version 3.2 also brings support for the M.2 format , giving Ultrabooks and tablets access to SATA Express in a tiny form factor. We’re already getting a peek at what the new spec can do when M.2-based PCIe drives offer comparable performance, but SATA 3.2’s ratification should bring that kind of speed to many more PCs in the future. Filed under: Storage Comments Source: SATA-IO

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SATA 3.2 standard finalized, promises faster and smaller storage

Silent Circle’s thing has always been the promise of end-to-end secure communications , and that drive is apparently causing it to shut down the Silent Mail email service. Reasons cited in a blog post by CTO Jon Callas include the insecure nature of email protocols and preemptively avoiding the outside (read: FISA ) pressures that prompted Lavabit to close its doors . Silent Circle says it hadn’t received any “subpoenas, warrants, security letters, or anything else”. Still, CEO Michael Janke tells TechCrunch he believed the government would come knocking due to certain high profile users of the service. Its phone, video and text products remain operational and claim to be “secure as ever”, if you’re wondering. Filed under: Internet Comments Source: Silent Circle

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Silent Circle follows Lavabit’s example, shuts down its secure email service

From Kickstarter projects to rumored devices from the biggest gadget manufacturers on earth, smartwatches of all kinds are popping up all over the world. The latest such wearable was unearthed by our good friends at Engadget Chinese , and is called inWatch One. It sets itself apart from other smartwatches with a custom version of Android 4.0 and a GSM SIM card slot to give your wrist access to mobile voice and data networks. inWatch has a 1.54-inch 240 x 240 capacitive display, a dual-core 1.2GHz CPU of unknown origin, a 2-megapixel camera and a 500mAh battery. Connectivity comes courtesy of the aforementioned GSM (likely for China-friendly 900/1800/2100 MHz bands), WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS radios. As for that custom Android build, dubbed inDroid, its been tailored to fit the watch’s smaller screen and works with some of China’s most popular apps; WeChat, Sina Weibo, QQ and Baidu music are all supported. Interested? It’s available now on the company’s website for RMB 1, 788 million (about $293 US). Filed under: Wearables , Mobile Comments Via: Engadget Chinese Source: inWatch (Chinese)

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inWatch One smartwatch has GSM connectivity and a heavily skinned version of Android

NVIDIA CEO Jen-Hsun Huang has confirmed to CNET that a followup to the Surface RT is in development, and that it will apparently continue to use NVIDIA hardware inside. Recently news concerning the ARM-powered version of Microsoft’s tablet hasn’t been good, with a $900 million inventory charge and price cuts for both the RT and Pro . According to Jen-Hsun Huang, the addition of an Outlook mail app in Windows 8.1 can be the killer app the platform has been missing, and the company hopes it will be a big success. Rumors for the next gen of Surface have hinted at Microsoft offering Qualcomm chips in some models as well a smaller 7-inch version . NVIDIA may have some Tegra 4-specific features to contribute on the latter, we’ll see if its can take a bigger bite out of the tablet market on their second attempt. Filed under: Tablets , Microsoft Comments Source: CNET

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NVIDIA CEO: ‘We’re going to bring it with the second generation Surface’

Ever since Netflix introduced its SuperHD streaming with higher quality 1080p video and 3D support at CES in January, it’s been restricted to only ISPs participating in its OpenConnect CDN program. Tonight, either there’s some kind of glitch or that participation has been expanded, because users with previously unsupported ISPs are seeing SuperHD buttons on Netflix as well. We’ve been able to confirm it and even stream SuperHD and 3D video on previously unsupported ISPs like Comcast and Verizon. There are several reports on Twitter of people suddenly seeing the option as well, and we’ve contacted Netflix to see what’s going on. So far the company has not responded, but if you’ve been waiting for some higher quality streaming options, hit the test page to see if you have the green light then try it out on a SuperHD-ready device (PS3, Roku, Apple TV, Wii U, Windows 8 and some others). [Thanks, Tim] Filed under: Home Entertainment , HD Comments Source: Netflix

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Netflix SuperHD, 3D streaming options pop up on Comcast, Verizon and other ISPs

There’s no shortage of home automation solutions on the market, but none can touch the cool factor of Philips’ Hue . The Android and iOS-controlled lighting solution consists of a base station that controls up to 50 different lights, including the company’s existing LED Connected Bulb, and two new additions, designed to let you add light without a standard lamp socket. The first product, LivingColors Bloom, is a compact fixture that you can position on the floor, on a shelf or anywhere in a room. It sits on the ground and bounces your pick of 16 million colors off any surface. LightStrips, on the other hand, is a better fit for more permanent (and subtle) installations. The 6.6-foot LED strip can be cut to size, and includes an adhesive backing, so it can be easily mounted under a counter, bed or inside cabinets. Both offerings support the full Hue color spectrum, and are compatible with existing apps and macros, including the IFTTT integration that debuted in May. Hue Bloom is set to retail for $80, while LightStrips will run you 90 bucks. Expect both products in Apple Stores this Thursday. Filed under: Household Comments

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Philips grows Hue smartphone-controlled lighting lineup with $80 LivingColors Bloom, $90 LightStrips

A blazing sun and the outdoors don’t exactly make for an ideal computing environment — unless you’re toting a ruggedized laptop that harnesses energy from sunlight like the Ubuntu-running Sol. Created mainly for use in developing countries with intermittent (or non-existent) electricity, it’s equipped with solar panels that soak up the sun when unfolded. According to OMG Ubuntu, its creators from Canadian company WeWi Telecommunications claim Sol’s battery, which can last for up to ten hours, only takes two hours to charge via solar energy. The device’s official website reveals little else, but according to the nuggets of information we’ve stumbled upon, Sol will pack an Intel processor, WiFi connectivity and an HD display, with an optional satellite module for internet connectivity. While full availability details have yet to be announced, a countdown timer on its website hints at more info in just under two days. Ghana will reportedly see the hardware arrive first with an accompanying $300 price tag. Though the notebook isn’t exactly wildly affordable, it’s at least a bit cheaper than Samsung’s 2011 take on a sunbeam-fueled laptop. Filed under: Laptops Comments Via: OMG! Ubuntu Source: Sol

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Solar-powered Ubuntu laptop boasts 10-hour battery, 2-hour charge time

Hardware makers often sing the praises of their latest and greatest flash memory , but the folks at Crossbar are ready to show them up with resistive RAM (RRAM) that they’ve been quietly working on. Compared to NAND, RRAM comes in at half the size and boasts 20 times faster write speeds (140MB/s), reads data at 17MB per second, guzzles 20 times less power and has 10 times more endurance. Since RRAM is non-volatile memory, it can keep data even when it’s powered off, á la NAND. As if that weren’t enough, 3D stacking construction allows for several terabytes of storage, endowing one 200 x 200mm chip with one terabyte. Unlike many tech breakthroughs however — we’re looking at you, graphene — this one is just about ready to find its way into finished products. Crossbar has manufactured RRAM within a standard chip factory, and claims that it can be churned out easily with existing production infrastructure. According to the firm, it’s in the fine-tuning process and plans to introduce the tech into the world of embedded SoCs. Sure, the outfit is the exclusive holder of some RRAM patents, but it aims to license its know-how to system-on-a-chip creators. Filed under: Storage Comments Via: VentureBeat Source: Crossbar

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Crossbar’s RRAM to boast terabytes of storage, faster write speeds than NAND

Some big (and surprising) news in the media industry today: The Washington Post has just confirmed that it and its affiliated publications have been acquired by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos for $250 million in cash. The announcement notes that Amazon “will have no role in the purchase, ” and that Bezos himself “will buy the news organization and become its sole owner when the sale is completed, probably within 60 days.” The statement goes on to explain that “The Post Co. will change to a new, still-undecided name and continue as a publicly traded company without The Post thereafter.” In an interview with the paper, the Post Co.’s chief executive, Donald Graham, says that “The Post could have survived under the company’s ownership and been profitable for the foreseeable future. But we wanted to do more than survive, ” adding, “I’m not saying this guarantees success but it gives us a much greater chance of success.” In a letter to Post employees, Bezos says that he “won’t be leading The Washington Post day-to-day, ” but that “there will of course be change at The Post over the coming years, ” and that “we will need to invent, which means we will need to experiment.” Developing… Comments Via: @Romenesko (Twitter) Source: The Washington Post (1) , (2)

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Jeff Bezos buys The Washington Post for $250 million in cash

If you thought Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) was done with the EverQuest brand , well, think again. The company has come up with a successor to the classic MMO with EverQuest Next (EQN), which aims to give MMO die-hards a world they can mold and disrupt to their heart’s content. According to Sony, “there are no levels” in EQN, but with around 40 different classes at launch, players can mix and match abilities and develop them as they go along. The game will also be smart enough to learn from your decisions, offering up related opportunities so you can do more of what you like, be it crafting weapons or beating up orcs. Further, NPCs are given “motivations” and “core values” so that they’ll attack you not just ’cause you’re within aggro range, but because they want your gold for example. Perhaps the biggest departure from other MMOs is that EQN introduces the idea of fully destructible environments that would result in permanent change to the landscape. Blow a hole in the wall? Well, it’ll stay that way, at least until someone else comes along to patch it. Since you can now destroy things, SOE also launched something called EverQuest Next Landmark , a sandbox that lets gamers create objects and buildings in the EverQuest world with the same tools SOE designers used to make the game. Amateur game architects can share their creations with friends, or collaborate with them on larger projects. Landmark will launch as a “Free to Play” title later this year, and marks the first stage in EQN’s release. As for EverQuest Next itself, well, its pricing and availability has yet to be announced. Until then, treat yourself to some gameplay footage and read up on what’s new in the press release after the break. Filed under: Gaming , Alt Comments Source: EverQuest Next

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Sony keeps the MMORPG flame alive with EverQuest Next and EverQuest Next Landmark